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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Squeezing Value Out of Each & Every Workday

by Rick Baker
On Jan 29, 2013

On average, how do you spend your workday:

 

_____% doing step-by-step routine work?

_____% fixing problems that followed your routine work? 

_____% fixing problems that followed someone else's routine work?

_____% handling emergencies?

_____% tackling opportunities?

_____% planning & organizing...for your organization's future?

_____% creating & choosing Ideas for future products & services?

_____% leading, mentoring, & coaching?

100% 

 

We haven't shaken off the economic doldrums because the pie chart for many leaders looks something like this:

 

Tags:

Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | Leaders' Thoughts | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Seeking Simple!

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When should business leaders seek "outside help"?

by Rick Baker
On Jan 24, 2013

When should business leaders seek "outside help"?

When I use the words "outside help" I mean help from mentors, coaches, consultants, etc.

Business leaders should seek "outside help" when 3 conditions are met:

  1. The leader identifies a situation that must change.
  2. The leaders is ready to accept "outside" opinions, which will expand options for future action and, perhaps, test the thickness of the leader's skin, &
  3. The leader is ready to embrace changes...including some small personal adjustments.

Tags:

Leaders' Thoughts | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Seeking Simple! | Succession

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About customer loyalty...seeking a simple measurement

by Rick Baker
On Jan 16, 2013

Are you on the lookout for simple, reliable business tools? [i.e., Are you Seeking Simple business solutions?]

Are you interested in understanding your customers' perceptions of your company, product or service?

If you answer yes to these 2 questions, here's one simple & straightforward answer...

***

About customer loyalty, there is one ultimate question. It allows you to quantify your level of customer loyalty.

On a scale of 0-10...

"How likely is it that you would recommend this company, product or service to a friend or colleague?"

Tally the answers under the following 3 classes:

          9-10 means Promoter

          7-8 means Passive [and at some risk to competition]

          0-6 means Detractor [and that's a real problem]

Then your customer loyalty score is calculated as follows:

Promoters - Detractors = NPS

NPS: your 'Net Promoter Score'...the higher the better...and, an upward trend-line is a good thing.

 

NPS: a terrific example of Seeking Simple.

 

Footnote

Source of the NPS customer-loyalty question: Fred Riechheld, 'The Ultimate Question', (2003)

Tags:

Marketing | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Seeking Simple!

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What Was I Thinking!

by Rick Baker
On Jan 3, 2013

Say you are 40 years old. That means you are about 350,000 hours old. If you are like the average person then you spent 1/3 of that 350,000 hours sleeping. So, you have been awake for about 230,000 hours.

During, at least, those awakened 230,000 hours your brain has been thinking about stuff.

That's a huge amount of time and you have done a huge volume of thought. 

What did you think about?

...i.e., did you ask yourself, What was I Thinking?

As you think about what you thought about for all those hours, do you find the analysis of your thinking tends to sort things under dimensions or categories?

A few examples...

The Time Dimension,  did you sort your thoughts into 3 time buckets:

  • thinking about the past,
  • thinking about the future, &
  • thinking about the present?
The Feelings Dimension, did you sort your thoughts into 2 feelings buckets:
  • thoughts linked to positive emotions and feelings like happiness and joy &
  • thoughts linked to negative emotions and feelings like worry and unhappiness?
The Locus Of Control Dimension, did you sort your thoughts into 2 control buckets:
  • thoughts about things I can control &
  • thoughts about things beyond my control?
The Identity Dimension, did you sort your thoughts into identity 3 identity buckets:
  • thoughts about self [Internal],
  • thoughts about others [External], &
  • thoughts about bigger things like your place in the Universe [Spiritual]?
The Creativity Dimension, did you sort your thoughts into 3 or more creativity buckets:
  • thoughts where you, alone, were thinking creatively [Individual],
  • thoughts where you worked with others to achieve a creative result [Team], &
  • thoughts where you determined creativity was not required?

Did you also happen to zero in on your thoughts about your thinking?

Asking yourself questions like:
  • How often do I step aside to think about what I'm thinking about?
  • How often do I work to develop my ability to focus my thoughts?
  • How do I go about improving my ability to focus my thoughts?
  • Can I stop the 'chatter' in my mind at will?
  • What's the best way to stop the 'chatter' in my mind?
 
When you know the answers to these sorts of questions, you know what you are thinking and why you are thinking it.
 
 
 

Tags:

Brain: about the Human Brain | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Thinking as in Think and Grow Rich

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Getting process right - how important is that?

by Rick Baker
On Dec 6, 2012

Work Process is made up of 2 things:

  • links of tasks done by people
  • links of tasks done by technology, designed by people

The Purpose of Work Process: to systematize and automate work tasks.

Isn't that a straightforward and simple enough concept?

Yes.

Work Process is straightforward and simple when you place it in writing.

But not always...

Work Process often becomes confused and complicated when we put it into action. 

When we put Work Process into action we find conflicting views and approaches to things like:

  • Who should do those tasks and why? Why me? and What's in it for me?
  • How do we improve that process? Why should we improve that process?
  • We need to do more of that process! You need to do more of that process!
How do we sort out those conflicts?
 
There are 7 critical steps:
  1. Ensure your work process is understood: ensure all work tasks are clear and ensure the linkage of the work tasks [the work flow] is clear.
  2. Ensure your work process actually works: that is, ensure the linkage of tasks of work process achieves the results you desire. Test cause and effect on an ongoing basis.
  3. Capture your work process in writing: work-flow picture & descriptions, role descriptions, etc.
  4. Match your peoples' individual/personal strengths with their roles. 
  5. Make a habit of asking your people questions about process and how they feel while doing their work-process tasks.
  6. Listen.
  7. Make the necessary adjustments to ensure your work process and your people are in synch.
 

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

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Thought Tweet #623

by Rick Baker
On Dec 5, 2012

Thought Tweet #623 When it comes to your work - Who mentors and coaches you? How does that happen?

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

The best athletes have mentors and coaches.

The best musicians have mentors and coaches.

The best artists have mentors and coaches.

Who mentors and coaches you?

Tags:

Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Thought Tweets

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